The present invention relates to balers for forming cylindrical bales from a crop and more specifically relates to the starter roll located at the bale forming chamber inlet of such a baler.
Balers for the formation of so-called round bales are used for baling various types of crops under varied harvesting conditions. Depending on the strength, the moisture content and the size of the stalks of the particular crop, there are variations in their behavior during the conveying and baling process. Nevertheless, it is desirable to be able to bale all crops under the most varied conditions with a single baler.
Starter rolls of some known balers, like that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,282 for example, have a smooth, metallic crop-engaging surface which performs satisfactorily under most crop conditions to set the crop into rotation for forming a cylindrical core upon which additional crop is wrapped during the baling process.
In order to get more aggressiveness for aiding in more difficult crop conditions, in particular when baling crop for silage feed, it is known to provide the crop-engaging surface of the starter roll with helical impellers.
Beyond that it has become known that the roller should be provided with moldings or ribs oriented parallel to the axis of rotation for performing a moderately aggressive conveying effect upon the crop. It is further known that these ribbed rollers may be rubber-coated to increase their aggressiveness against the crop, such ribbed and coated rollers being disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,926 granted on Jan. 24, 1984.
All of the previously described balers operate satisfactorily with the majority of crops and under most harvesting conditions; however, under unfavorable conditions very dry crop is not carried along by the roller and may slide past it and lead to clogging.
The problem underlying the invention is seen as that of proposing a baler for baling cylindrical bales from a crop, with a bale forming chamber having an inlet at its underside, the inlet having a starter roll positioned therein for aiding in the rolling up of crop products entering the inlet and the starter roll being adaptable to a multitude of crops and baling conditions including dry crop conditions.